


All The Right Reasons

by astro_dalys



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst baby!!!, Eventual Smut (Maybe), F/F, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers, kinda slow burn, tyzula for the most part, with a little bit of the other canon couples
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27729154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astro_dalys/pseuds/astro_dalys
Summary: In the small town of Caldera reputations and social standings are everything. Everyone knows each other in their town, and no one knew Ty Lee better than Azula. In a town of superficial people and disloyalty, the two girls held each other down. That was until last summer. You see, the town of Caldera filled it's inhabitants with insecurities and distrust. Will Ty Lee and Azula be able to hold on to each other in a town that seems to feed off gossip?
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 72





	1. Reflections

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is my first time actually writing a fic, so please bear with me if I make mistakes or there are certain inconsistencies along the way. I have the plot and outline of this story pretty much set down, so I hope you guys enjoy. If you have any suggestions/ comments feel free to do so either here or my tumblr: @latraviesascott Tyzula Rights!! Enjoy<3

She grew up always wanting what she couldn’t have. Whether it be her own room, her own car, heck even her own face she had to share with her 6 sisters. Ty Lee felt as if she had spent most of her life chasing the wind, often daydreaming about running away and pursuing a life of adventure. A life where she could be herself. Somewhere far away from her identical sisters and very far away from her parents. She loved her family, but it gets hard to do so when she is seen by her parents as just another mouth to feed; another child who had long ago given up with trying to make her parents remember her name. 

As she gazed towards the football field visible through the window of her history classroom, she thought of all those dreadful summers she spent at home. Ty Lee’s parents were constantly watching everything their daughters did even when they couldn’t be bothered to distinguish one from the other. They expected each of the Ty sisters to be successful in whatever they did, but for all the wrong reasons. They were not exactly the richest in town, even though her father held an honorable post in the city council, and in the town of Caldera where the people seemed to feed off gossip, having successful children meant access to bragging rights and rehearsed words of praise at the council’s dinner parties. Her parents were beyond delighted when Ty Lee was made captain of the cheerleading team at the prestigious Caldera High, where only a select few had the privilege to attend. She knew her father had to pull major strings at the council to have one of her daughters attend there, and at first Ty Lee had felt honored that her parents chose her. But she realized it was more a curse than a blessing. She remembered the day she came home and announced she had been made captain. It was one of the very few times her parents had called her by her name. Her satisfaction had been short lived, for after being embraced by her parents her mother held her arms and looked her in the eye as she said “Don’t embarrass us.” 

Outside in the football field, some of the football team players filed out of the school’s rec center. Coach Hakoda began drilling them under the sun’s relentless heat. Ty Lee did not notice the commotion in the field, her focus lingering instead on the memories that often plagued her each time she returned to school year after year. She felt so alone despite the constant attention and popularity that surrounded her at school. That popularity was again for all the wrong reasons. It seemed most people loved her for her looks, her bubbly facade, etc. But hardly anyone actually saw her for who she really was. ‘ **_She_ ** _saw you, the real you_ ’ Ty Lee sighed as she thought about the raven-haired girl that occupied her mind ever since Ty Lee met her. That same girl who Ty Lee was trying so desperately to ignore after...recent events.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost yelped when her best friend, Mai, elbowed her side. Snapping out of her daze, she turned to see all her classmates looking expectantly at her. She heard Mr. Roku clear his throat in front of the classroom. She snapped her attention to him. 

“ I will ask again Ms. Ty Lee. What was the main detonator for WW1?” he asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

‘ _how long was I out?’_ Ty Lee thought as she scrambled for an answer in the deepest catacombs of her brain. 

“Uhhh…” She looked at Mai desperately for help, but she could barely make out what her stoic friend was trying to say. 

“the asasination of Archduke Franz” Mai tried whispering so Mr. Roku wouldn't hear. Apparently she did too good of a job, for Ty Lee herself seemed to not get the memo.

“Oh I got it!” Ty Lee said with a confident smile. “It was the mass annihilation of arctic hens!” 

The whole class erupted in laughter, and Ty Lee slowly realized just what had come out of her mouth. She watched as even her sweet friend Aang was giggling with his best friend Sokka, who was actually wiping tears from his eyes as he laughed. To make matters worse, she saw golden eyes stare at her from across the room, almost staring into her soul before sparkling with cold cruel amusement. Ty Lee blushed and tried to play off her embarrassment by laughing awkwardly. 

“Alright class, settle down.” Mr. Roku spoke again, his deep voice and stern demeanor quieting down the class in seconds. Under normal circumstances, Ty Lee would have been impressed at how the old man still controlled the students, but right now all she wanted to do was crawl under her desk to avoid what was coming next. That stern gaze and commanding voice fixated on Ty Lee, and all she could do was smile innocently. 

“I know a young _girl_ like yourself might find the football players practicing to be more intriguing than world history,” Roku started, “but I assure you Ms.Lee that it will be the _assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand_ and not the shirtless football team that just might save your exam scores from being an utter disappointment.” He finished leaving Ty Lee embarrassed.

She glanced out the window and, sure enough, some of the football boys were practicing drills, shirtless under the stifling heat. ‘ _I didn’t even notice them!’_ Ty Lee thought to herself, immediately regretting her earlier episode of reflection.

“Now back to the lesson” Mr. Roku continued in a lighter voice, as if he hadn’t completely exposed Ty Lee seconds before.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that all too familiar smirk and golden eyes stare at her. Taunting. An invitation for Ty Lee to turn around and melt under those eyes.

Ty Lee sighed. ‘ _Oh to be a dead Archduke right about now.”_

  
  



	2. The Pep Rally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one has a quick Mai pov part. I wanted to practice writing from her pov, so I hope you guys like it. Also did it from Azula's pov :)

So far, Ty Lee was having a dreadful first week back to school. This week was supposed to be exciting! It was her senior year, and there was so much she was looking forward to. So why did she feel so miserable? She knew the answer to all her unease lay in those golden eyes that she loved so much.

The bell rung, and Mr. Roku wished the class a good weekend after assigning them a ton of homework on WW1. ‘“ _ Have a nice weekend” my ass’  _ Ty Lee thought bitterly as she walked down the crowded hallway alongside Mai.

They both headed towards the school’s gym area. Ty Lee was about to ask Mai how her day had been, when Ty Lee saw something that made her stop in her tracks as she felt stomach lurch unpleasantly and her face grew warm with hints of jealousy.

*******

Mai was glad this week was over. Half her classmates were idiot jocks and dumb girls who somehow made it to AP classes. She had Azula in some of her classes, but that was no use right now. All Azula did was subtly direct the conversation to Ty Lee. Those two were so gross, it surprised her how she hadn’t yet thrown up. Azula thought she was so slick, and Ty Lee was so bad at pretending to be unbothered.

‘ _ I deserve an award for being me.’  _ Mai thought to herself as she walked in silence besides Ty Lee towards the school’s lame pep rally.

Mai raised an eyebrow in the subtlest expression of confusion as she felt Ty Lee suddenly stop walking. Mai turned towards the smaller girl only to see Ty Lee frowning deeply at something (or someone) a few feet away. Mai slightly rolled her eyes when she saw the focus of Ty Lee’s attention. 

The tall handsome form of a certain raven-haired girl loomed suspiciously close over a pretty, silver-haired girl.

‘ _ Yue? I think that’s her name.’  _ Mai wondered as she saw Azula and Yue openly flirting in front of the locker room entrance by the gym. ‘ _ She thinks she’s sooo slick!’  _ Mai knew exactly what Azula was playing at. 

Azula’s left hand rested on the wall a little above Yue’s head, while Yue herself stood with her back against the wall, looking at Azula as if she had hung the moon. In a fluid motion, Azula tilted Yue’s face to the side with her free hand as she leaned in to whisper something into her ear, making the silver-haired girl blush madly. Yue tugged at Azula’s leather jacket, bringing the tall girl impossibly closer to her.

‘ _ My god! Where is counselor Iroh breaking off PDA when you need him _ ?! Mai complained warily in her head. 

She honestly thought the two girls were about to kiss, when Yue suddenly shoved Azula away carefully when she caught sight of Ty Lee and Mai watching them. 

Azula smirked, and locked eyes with Ty Lee before pulling Yue by the waist and whispering something in her ear again, making the pretty girl giggle annoyingly. Her cruel golden eyes never left Ty Lee. Just as Mai was about to usher Ty Lee inside the gym, she saw her friend storm past Azula as she made her way inside the locker rooms, leaving Mai with Azula and Yue. Azula shoved Yue away from her in a not-so gentle way as she turned to Mai.

“So, I take it the History guru is not having a great day, huh?” Azula asked, referring to Ty Lee’s earlier mistake in Roku’s class.

“I suppose not.” Mai answered bluntly, toying with a loose thread of her black long sleeve shirt. 

Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had been very close friends since they met, but that had all changed when Ty Lee and Azula suddenly broke up. Now it seemed Mai was stuck in the middle of their relationship problems.

Ty Lee didn’t tell Mai what exactly happened between her and Azula, she just said it was better for them both to be away from each other. Mai remembers the way Ty Lee had come to her house to cry in Mai’s lap for hours. It had taken Ty Lee a whole week before she could even begin to smile again. Mai knew both of them well, and she had seen enough of their “break ups” to know this time was different. Mai never said anything, but she noticed the way Ty Lee seemed more lost in her mind more often than not. Azula, however, seemed totally unbothered.

“Hmm, and how’s dear Zuzu doing?” Azula pressed on with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

Zuko and Mai had dated since they met freshman year, but after he graduated this summer, their relationship had been hard to keep up. With him being in college, their long distance relationship had been taking a toll on them both. Azula knew this. 

“Aren’t you his sister? Ask him yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be. Bye Azula, bye June.” Mai said dismissively as she turned to leave.

“Hey, I’m not June!” Yue called out.

“I don’t care.” Mai said, already making her way inside the gym. She heard Azula laugh before being engulfed by the painfully bright and cheerful atmosphere of the Caldera High Gymnasium. Mai opted to sit in the bleachers with Zuko’s old friend group, seeing as how Ty Lee was getting ready in the locker rooms. Sokka, Suki, Katara, Aang, and Toph all greeted her excitedly and Mai gave them a small smile in return. She took a seat next to Suki, and took out her phone and airpods. She scrolled her playlist and settled down for the next hour. 

‘ _ I’m gonna throw up _ ’ Mai thought as she saw the school mascot, a red dragon, emerge from under the bleachers and start breakdancing.

******

Ty Lee fought hard to keep tears from forming in her eyes as she made her way to the locker rooms to get ready alongside the rest of her team. She made her way to her pink locker (a perk of being captain) and opened it to fetch her uniform. When she turned to look at herself in the small locker mirror, she saw all the photos of her and Azula that decorated the back side of the locker door. Ty Lee felt her heart drop at the sight of her favorite photo of them both kissing on top of a ferris wheel. The photo was taken a few months before they broke up. Ty Lee remembered the way Azula had been so gentle and how her lips felt heavenly against hers. She never thought someone could make her feel so perfect and so special. 

A tear made its way down Ty Lee’s cheek as she quickly pushed the memory away. 

‘ _ Get it together Ty, she clearly moved on already.’  _ Ty Lee reminded herself of the scene she saw in the hallway as she fixed her hair into her signature braid before wiping away the stray tear and fixing her flawless makeup. She was naturally beautiful, but her expertise in cosmetics was something she had mastered at a young age. Anything to set her apart from her sisters.

When she closed her locker door, she saw her friend Ying approach her own locker next to Ty Lee’s. 

“Hey Lee, ready for the first game tomorrow?” Ying asked cheerfully. 

Ty Lee gave her the widest smile she could muster despite her dark mood.

“Sure am!” She said brightly as she made her way to the locker room exit. She usually gave a speech whenever her team was about to perform, but she couldn’t find the energy to do so right now. No one seemed to notice, however, as they all made their way to the exit and fell in line with Ty Lee in the lead. 

Ty Lee could hear the loud cheers and the blaring music coming from the gym. She practiced her smile as the team waited for the cue that would let them know it was showtime.

“Give it up for your very own 4 time regional champions, the talented, the awesome: Caldera High Cheer Team!” Announced Principal Bumi in his loud, excited voice. 

Ty Lee skipped out of the locker rooms with her team behind her, and she immediately started them off in their Dragon routine. The purpose of the routine was for her to lead while each member in line behind her imitated her movements in a fluid motion that resembled the serpentine movements of a dragon. Ty Lee had invented the routine and the girls had mastered this dance style quickly, earning them their 4th consecutive championship.

Ty Lee started the routine to Whistle by Blackpink. She focused on nailing every move to channel her inner turmoil into the energetic beat of the music.

Even though her dazzling smile was forced, she couldn’t help but feel thrilled at the adrenaline that rushed through her flexible body as she landed a backflip in a perfect split. Numerous people cheered for her and her team. She was pleased to see out of the corner of her eye, how a certain someone was entranced by her dance moves. She felt the tight knot of unease in her stomach weaken. It was as if the hot blue flames of her turmoil were slowly subdued to warm embers the more she danced.

******

‘ _ Oh Agni! This girl is BO-RING _ ’ Azula thought as she pretended to listen to this girl's story about her going on some spiritual retreat to the North Pole this summer and how she aided in restoring the fish population or some dumb shit like that. Azula couldn’t care less. ‘ _ Who the fuck goes to the north pole in summer? _ ’ Azula asked herself as she hummed in agreement to whatever it was the girl was saying. 

It was bad enough that the silver-haired girl had dragged her to the gym’s disgusting bleachers, now she had to listen to her? No, Azula had other things in mind. She sat in the bottom row of bleachers near the gym exit with Yue uncomfortably close to her. Azula spread her knees wider in order to push the clingy girl away from her. She didn’t take the hint. Instead, the girl seemed to take that as an invitation to place her hand in Azula’s thigh. Azula sighed, exasperated. A few moments ago, she had sent a freshman boy scrambling away from his seat so she could prop up her elbows on the row of bleachers above the ones she currently sat on.

“ _ A lady does not sit like that Azula!”  _ She remembered her mother constantly scolding her whenever she sat “inappropriately” at the dinner table. It only prompted Azula to do it even more. That was before her mother left, of course. 

‘ _ Fuck you, Ursa’  _ Azula thought bitterly as she ran a hand through the bangs of her long hair. 

Azula stared intently at the circus performance that the cheerleaders were putting on. She was barely aware of the girl speaking next to her. She gave non-engaging sounds of agreements at random intervals as she stared at the way the cheerleading captain rolled her hips at the sound of the music. She felt her mouth go dry at the sight. She turned her gaze to the crowd and felt her fury spark as she saw some boys stare appreciatively at the skin left exposed by Ty Lee’s cheerleading uniform. She felt as if lightning were coursing through her veins. 

“-it felt so refreshing to drink from the tribe’s spiritual fountain in their sacred garden. I miss it already.” 

‘ _ She was still there? Agni, what was her name again? June? _ ’ Azula wondered as she saw the girl next to her finish her story with a wistful smile. The way things were going, Azula was going to have to take this girl to Starbucks just to hear her name again. She stared at the girl with a convincing imitation of interest. 

“Wow, so true. Are you busy tonight? Chan is throwing a party later tonight to celebrate the start of the football season, and I don’t seem to have a plus-one.” Azula asked, already knowing the answer.

The pretty girl blushed, and Azula smirked. 

“Are you asking me out on a _date_ , Azula?” the silver-haired girl asked playfully.

Azula chuckled, leaning into the girl’s ear to further tease her. She lowered her voice to a deep, but teasing tone.

“ Don’t flatter yourself, you’re just tagging along.” She lightly grazed the blushing girl’s ear with her lips before standing up abruptly. 

Azula was halfway out of the gym when she remembered that she had taken off her leather jacket when entering the gym. The sleeves of her black t-shirt were rolled up making the t-shirt look like a tank top. Her strong, toned arms were left exposed. The silver-haired girl had insisted on holding Azula’s jacket, and Azula had been so focused on….other things that she had absent-mindedly said yes. 

Azula walked back towards the girl, who looked up hopefully at her. Instead of comforting the girl, Azula snatched her jacket from her grip, and smoothly made her way out. 

“I’ll call you!” yelled  _ June?  _ from behind Azula. 

‘ _ Of course she will, they all do.’ _ Azula thought smugly as she pulled out the keys of her black 1964 Mustang convertible that was parked in the principal’s parking space. A freedom she granted herself since her dad was the town’s Mayor.

She was about to tear out of the school’s parking lot, when she saw a camera waiting for her in the red leather passenger’s seat of her car. Azula groaned as she remembered that she was in charge of taking photos of all sports related events for the school yearbook. Pep rallys fell into that category. 

In past years, Suki, the head of the yearbook club, was always furious when Azula turned in a camera filled with photos of a certain cheerleader and a few mediocre shots of the actual game highlights. Azula was a great photographer and she always pulled through, though, so Suki let it slide for the most part.

It was no surprise to everyone at Caldera High to see the cheerleading section of the yearbook always turn out to be the most high quality and aesthetically pleasing part of the book.

“Not my fault the girl is so hot.” Azula had said defensively in her junior year after receiving a long lecture from Suki about how “your girlfriend’s midriff” wasn’t supposed to be part of the yearbook. Whatever that means.

If she was being honest, Azula took most of those photos for herself. When Ty Lee and her would part ways to go home, Azula would lay awake in her bed scrolling through the photos she took of her girlfriend. With her mother gone, her father away on “business trips” and Zuko in college, she lived alone in her father’s mansion. The place never felt like home. It was a giant museum of Azula’s worst memories, fears, and insecurities. But laying there looking at Ty Lee smile at her through the camera, she felt right at home with her; she was no longer alone. 

‘ _ She still left you just like everyone else. _ ’ said a nagging voice in Azula’s head, reminding her of the reality. She pushed those memories away as she grabbed the camera and stepped out of her car, locking it behind her. She hurried towards the gym with an air of chaos around her. She smirked and her eyes lit up mischievously as she entered the gym. 

Just as she knew how to capture the best angles in a photo, she also knew how to snap photos so bad, they'd give you nightmares. 

‘ _ Oh sweet Ty Lee, you are so gonna regret dumping me.’  _ Azula thought cruelly as she raised her camera and pointed it towards the cheerleading captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunnnn, what is our girl Zula up to?  
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed, next chapter will have some partying whoop whoop! And also the first flashback into the famous breakup, so I hope y'all stick around for that.  
> If any of you wanna get an idea of what Ty Lee's routine sorta looks like, you can watch Blackpink's dance practice videos on YouTube. I got my inspiration from the way they all move so smoothly. Especially Playing with Fire at 0:46.  
> Thx for reading bbys<3


	3. Parties and regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, this one has a flashback into the infamous breakup as well as some partying whoop whoop. This one is a little long, so I hope you guys enjoy<3

The pep rally came to its end and Ty Lee followed the rest of her team towards the locker rooms to change. She was surprised at how tired she felt. Usually, she would end up feeling energized after dancing, but now she felt drained. Maybe she would go over to Mai’s house and watch movies instead of going out. Yeah that sounded nice. She was pulled out of her thoughts as someone stepped in front of her, blocking her way to the locker room entrance. It took her a moment to recognize that someone as Chan, the captain of the football team. He was standing so close that Ty Lee was invaded by the smell of his body spray.

‘ _ Yuck!’  _ Ty Lee thought as she stepped back awkwardly.

“Hey, Ty.” Chan said with a smile that apparently had many girls swooning.

Fortunately, Ty Lee was not one of those girls. She cringed a little at the way Chan had used Azula's nickname for her. A lot of people called her that, but hearing it come from him just felt wrong.

She gave him a small smile.

“Hey Chan. Did you need something?” Ty Lee asked politely, even if she wanted to push past him to get into the locker room already.

“Actually I'm having a party at my place later tonight, and that performance out there earned you a VIP invite from the Chan-Man himself.” The football captain said confidently as if receiving an invite from him was the Caldera High equivalent of a nobel peace prize.

Ty Lee wanted to slap this jock across his stupid face. So now her invites to social events depended on how good of a performance she put up? Did everyone think the same way? Ty Lee tried to push her anger down and offer a nice smile instead.

“Oh thank you Chan, but I think I migh-”

“Tell you what, you can even bring your little friend over there to my party.” Chan interrupted, pointing at Mai.

‘ _ Rude!”  _ Ty Lee thought. She was already growing tired of listening to him, and she was sure that if she continued to smell that awful body spray, she might just throw up all over this boy’s letterman jacket. Just as she was about to decline and tell him to stick his invite where Agni’s sun don't shine, Chan said something that sparked interest in Ty Lee. 

“C,Mon there will be loads of drinks, I promise you that!” 

Ty Lee turned to look at him.

“You know what? Count me in!” She said in her usual bubbly tone.

Chan finally left her alone, and Ty Lee buzzed with newfound energy as she made her way into the locker room. She changed out of her uniform and made her way over to Mai when she was finished.

She didn't know why she was acting like this, but she knew what Azula was trying to do. And she would be damned if she didn't at least get some fun out of this twisted situation Azula put her in. After all, any game worth playing takes two to play.

‘ _ It is so on now, Zula.’  _ Ty Lee thought as she walked out of the gym with Mai.

********

After dropping off the camera with Suki, Azula found herself zoning out as she drove herself home. It cost her to admit, but she had so much time to burn now that she and Ty Lee were no longer together. It hurt to say, but the cheerleader had formed such a big part of Azula's life, and now those moments Ty Lee used to occupy lay wasted in Azula's hands, burning away day after day. 

The drive to Azula's house would usually take 10 minutes, but she always took detours that would extend the drive as much as possible. Azula dreaded coming home. 

Home. 

Azula wasn't sure if that's what she would even call it. To her it felt more like a prison. 

Over time, Azula realized home was more of a feeling rather than a place. Home was comfort, peace. Those were things that were foreign to Azula. Even when Ursa and Zuko lived in the mansion, that place felt cold to all it's residents. It was a cold that neither their expensive chimney or Agni himself could warm. This place would always gnaw at Azula's insecurities and make her relive her worst memories. Judging by the way her mother and brother left, they felt the same. Ursa knew it. Zuko knew it. That bone chilling feeling would be there as long as  _ he  _ was there. It seemed everyone got away when they had the chance. Everyone, except Azula. Did she not deserve a chance too? Or was she what everyone was running away from too?

Azula lived with those thoughts warring in her mind ever since her mother left. Even before that, she saw the way Ursa looked at her.

_ ‘What is wrong with that child?’ _

It felt like she was being destined to turn into her father ever since she was small. For a moment, she thought Zuko would bear the responsibilities Ozai had in store. She thought that maybe just maybe she had a chance of escaping like her mother, but that all changed when Zuko left to pursue his own career. Everyone in this story ended up choosing their own destiny. But in Azula’s case, it was destiny that chose her. She was the only person in that house who could feel its coldness consume her. Peace and warmth were no longer an option for her.

And then along came Ty Lee...

Before she could further indulge in her thoughts and memories, Azula arrived at the mansion gates. She saw the time in the car’s stereo: 6:15. A thirty minute drive, not bad. She pressed a button in her car, making the front gates slowly creak open. She drove up the gravel pathway that led to the enormous parking space in front of the mansion. She placed her car in her usual spot in front of the wide garage door. 

Azula didn't want to get out of the car. Not yet. Seeing Ty Lee again after 2 months of not knowing anything about each other, left her feeling as lost as she had been after the breakup. That damned breakup. Azula remembered the last time Ty Lee had been here, and as Azula stared up at the looming building in front of her, she began to cry.

********

“So you're telling me, you've  _ never  _ watched a single Harry Potter movie?!” Azula exclaimed, shocked at what her girlfriend had confessed.

Ty Lee shoved Azula's arm gently as the raven-haired girl drove them towards Azula's house.

“Stop looking at me like that! Do you know how hard it would be to try and watch a whole movie series with 6 sisters willing to spill blood over the TV remote?!” Ty Lee said, laughing at Azula's bewildered expression. “Besides, I always thought those movies were kinda boring.” 

Azula gasped dramatically, swerving the car a little in the midst of her fit. 

“Zula, stop!! You're gonna get us killed!” Ty Lee said, laughing despite herself. 

There were many things Azula liked hearing, and Ty Lee's laugh was at the top of that list. She wanted to keep hearing that heavenly sound, so she teased her girlfriend even more.

“Not you saying Harry Potter is boring while being obsessed with Riverdale.”

It was Ty Lee's turn to gasp. Ty Lee smacked the back of Azula's head.

“Ow! What was that for?!” Azula exclaimed, rubbing her head with the hand that wasn't on the steering wheel. 

“I told you not to bring that up, Azula! I was in middle school! It was a symptom of comp het!! You know we don't speak of it.” Ty Lee said, crossing her arms and pouting. 

Azula laughed at how cute her girlfriend looked when she was mad. At a stop light, Azula leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Ty Lee's lips, effectively turning that pout into a smile. Azula was beginning to think Ty Lee was pretending to be mad on purpose.

Ty Lee surprised Azula by wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s neck, pulling Azula even closer to deepen the kiss. Azula didn't protest. As Azula was about to move her hands to Ty Lee's waist, there was a honk from the car behind Azula's. This made them both snap their attention back to the road as Azula continued to drive.

Before Azula could say anything else, Ty Lee leaned over and curled up against Azula's side. Azula pressed a kiss to the top of Ty Lee's head feeling herself melt against the shorter girl. 

“Tell you what, when we get to my place, we watch a Harry Potter movie. If you don't like it, you get to choose what we do the rest of the night.” Azula had meant her tone to be suggestive, but she was surprised to hear how soft and loving her voice sounded. She didn't know she could possibly speak in such a way.

“Sounds like a deal, you big nerd.” Ty Lee said.

For the first time in forever, Azula couldn't wait to get to her house.

The rest of the drive went by fast with Ty Lee stealing kisses from Azula at every stop light. 

When Azula pulled up to her driveway, she felt her stomach sink.

Her father's car was parked in Azula's usual parking spot meaning he was home.

Ty Lee must have felt Azula tense beside her.

“Zula? Are you ok?” She asked, concern evident on her face.

“Yeah I'm fine Ty, I just wasn't expecting Father to get home today.” Azula tried to make her voice stronger than how she felt, but it was useless. Ty Lee knew her well enough to know something was bothering her.

Ty Lee took Azula's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“We can hang out another time, babe, I don't mind. That way you can spend time with you-”

“No! Please don't go.” Azula said quickly.

She could see Ty Lee was surprised at how Azula reacted, but she was relieved to see that Ty Lee didn't ask anything else. Azula trusted Ty Lee with her life, but Azula still hadn't told her just how abusive Ozai had gotten after Zuko’s departure. It could ruin his reputation as the city's Mayor, and in the town of Caldera reputation was everything. Ozai saw to it that Azula acted with his reputation in mind. 

“Ok, I won't go, but you're going to have to make this worth my time.” Ty Lee said playfully, trying to lighten the tension in Azula's mood.

Azula smiled appreciatively and gave Ty a quick kiss before stepping out of the car. Azula made her way over to Ty Lee's door and opened it for her. Azula knew Ty Lee appreciated those small gestures, so she made sure to do them as much as possible.

As they entered the mansion, Azula hoped to make their entrance go by unnoticed. 

_ ‘Please let him be in his study’  _ she thought nervously as she and Ty Lee removed their shoes in the mansion’s foyer. 

Azula hurriedly led Ty Lee towards the grand staircase. 

“Aren't you going to greet your father, Azula?” Called Ozai from the mansion's sitting room.

She turned and slowly made her way to the sitting room where Ozai was sitting in one of the room’s expensive couches. He was scrolling through his phone while holding an almost empty glass of whiskey. Azula made sure to stay a respectable distance away from him whenever he was drinking. 

Ty Lee stayed behind Azula never losing that bright smile of hers.

Azula bowed her head respectfully.

“Hi Father, I didn't know you were coming home so soon.” The way she spoke had Ty Lee gaping at her. She sounded so small compared to how she usually had people cowering before her with just the simplest of commands. It made Azula sick.

“When I decide to get home should be none of your concern, Azula.” Ozai snapped at her, not bothering to look up from his phone. “Go and fill this up for me, would you?” 

Azula thought it was her he was talking to, but she was surprised to see his glass raised towards Ty Lee who had moved besides Azula.

Was he being serious right now?!

“Um, actually Father, this is Ty Lee.” Azula said nervously.

“Azula, how many times have I told you not to name the servants?!” Ozai said annoyed, still not bothering to look up. 

Before Azula could talk herself and Ty Lee out of the situation they were in, Ty Lee spoke up for the first time since they got there.

“Actually, Mr. Ozai, sir, I am Azula's girlfriend. It is so nice to finally meet you!” Ty Lee smiled, genuinely happy to meet Ozai. She held out her hand for Ozai to shake.

This made Ozai finally look up from his phone. He stared intensely at Azula before turning his gaze to Ty Lee...who was still holding out her hand.

Azula didn't like the dangerous light in Ozai’s eyes as he stood up. He set his glass down on the coffee table in front of him before making himself over to Ty Lee. He shook her hand. 

“A pleasure to meet you Ty Lee. It is evident my daughter has good taste.”Ozai said, making Azula burn with hatred for her father. He knew her father well enough to know this was all an act, and Ty Lee didn't deserve an act she deserved to be praised with sincerity.

“Could you give me and Azula a moment? There are some matters I need to discuss with her before leaving again tonight. Then, she's all yours.” Ozai said cheerfully, setting a firm hand on Azula's shoulder. Azula visibly cowered at the gesture.

Ty Lee was oblivious to all this. She respectfully bowed.

“Of course Mr.Ozai.” It was only when Ty Lee turned to Azula that she felt uneasy. 

Azula looked at Ty Lee and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

“It's okay Ty, you can wait in my room, it'll only be a moment.”

Ty Lee squeezed Azula's hand gently before making her way out of the sitting room.

Azula felt Ozai's eyes on her as she stared intensely at her feet. It felt like hours had passed before Ozai spoke.

“Look at me.” Ozai snapped in a voice that made Azula snap her eyes up immediately despite herself. All the cheer and politeness he had used to greet Ty Lee was now gone.

Ozai stared intensely into her eyes. It made her sick to see how much she resembled her father. From his golden eyes, to the way he scowled, Azula was almost a mirror image of her father. It seemed Ozai was analysing every inch of her brain as he continued to stare at her with disgust evident in his face. He moved away from Azula and made his way to his liquor cabinet. As he poured himself another glass of whiskey, he started to talk.

“You and I both know your brother was a disgrace to this family. It is now up to you to carry on the legacy and take up my responsibilities once I am gone, Azula. I accepted your  _ preferences  _ for the sake of preserving the family name.. So you should consider yourself grateful that I didn't immediately throw you out of this house. After all, you are the last available heir..” Ozai drawled, spitting venom in each one of his words.

“ I chose your mother for purely political reasons, and even then that  _ whore _ went ahead and tainted our reputation. I only ask you to consider who it is you choose to have by your side, Azula. You’d be surprised at how damaging choosing the wrong woman can be to one’s political career. We can’t be falling for every pretty-eyed broad who throws herself our way now, wouldn't you agree, Azula?” She could practically  _ hear  _ his evil smirk in his words. 

Azula knew what he was implying with his words and she felt rage claw at her insides. No. She had to stay calm. Who knows what would happen if she spoke out. She didn't want to end up like Zuko.

“Yes, father.”

“Good. Then tell me what it is you want with that girl and I'll find you someone more  _ decent  _ in status that will do the same.”

Azula was sure she could breathe fire with the rage she was feeling. She had to defend her girlfriend from this disgusting man.

“You don't know her father, Ty Lee is-”

“You're right!! I do not know her Azula!! Do you think that if she were important enough for me to know her, I would've confused her for a fucking  _ servant _ !!!? Ozai turned towards her violently, interrupting Azula's attempts at defending Ty Lee. He was enraged now. He didn't need to shout to make his words pierce through her. 

“At least Zuko had the decency to find himself a woman with a half decent family! You on the other hand, I expected better from you! Bringing in to our home this  _ Kylie  _ girl claiming you as hers!!! For Agni's sake Azula, what kind of operation do you think we're running here?! This isn't a charity, Azula. Do what you must with the girl, and after you've put her to good use, I suggest you reflect on what it is you want. A legacy, or a  _ girl.  _ Now get out of my sight.” Ozai finished.

Azula was frozen in place. She wanted to burn this man to the ground. How dare he speak of Ty Lee that way?!! But fear clouded her mind.

“Yes father.” Azula said lamely. She bowed quickly and as she exited the sitting room she realized she was shaking. She made her way to the grand staircase and, there, sitting in the stairs was Ty Lee. She was looking at Azula with tears in her eyes. 

‘ _ She heard everything.’  _ It suddenly dawned on Azula that she hadn't heard Ty Lee climb the stairs up to her room. She had heard everything.

Ty Lee stood up and pushed past Azula towards the front door.

“Ty? Wait!” Azula followed after her quickly, not even bothering to put her shoes back on.

She caught up with Ty Lee halfway through the driveway. 

“Ty, please, what's wrong!?” Azula tugged at Ty Lee's arm, pulling her in for a hug.

Ty Lee pulled away harshly.

“What's wrong? Gee Azula, I just got humiliated by your father, and you're asking me what's wrong?!” Ty Lee yelled at her with tears in her eyes. 

“What did you hear?” Azula asked quietly.

“You know what Azula? It wasn't what I heard that hurt, it was what I didn't. And what I didn't hear was you!! You didn't even bother to say anything to him!! How could you let him say all those awful things about me?! Do I mean nothing to you!?.” Ty Lee asked desperately, pushing Azula angrily. 

“Ty, please hear me out!” Azula said, feeling tears form at her own eyes. She grabbed Ty Lee's arms to keep her from further hurting Azula or herself.

“No Azula! I'm not the one that needs to hear you out! You had an opportunity to let your dad head you out, but guess what?? You didn't!! So explain this to me Azula, why would you agree with him?? Why??” Ty Lee asked her through her tears. At this point she was being embraced by Azula, crying against her chest. Ty Lee looked up at her expecting an answer. 

Azula looked away, she couldn't explain everything without exposing her father. All those years of abuse, the truth behind her grandfather's death, Zuko's scar. No, she couldn't. Her fear once again clouded her mind.

“I'm sorry, I just can't. Not now.”

Ty Lee pushed herself off of Azula's arms. 

“So when, Azula? Were you planning on explaining after you had “put me to good use”? Two years we've been dating, Azula, and this is how you really feel about me? Your father confused me for a servant, did you never tell him about us?” Ty Lee said, tears falling from her eyes. 

“Ty please just com-”

“Stop. Just please stop. If you don’t plan on explaining yourself then…. I think it's best if we spent some time apart. You obviously have issues you need to deal with, and I know my worth. I love you Azula, but it hurts to think you might not feel the same.” Ty Lee said, looking sadly at Azula. 

Azula was frozen in place. Did she just-? Was it over? No no no. Please no. She couldn't lose Ty Lee. She felt the tears fall from her eyes.

“Ty?” Azula's voice sounded so fragile. She felt helpless. 

“I'm sorry, Azula. I love you. I really do. And If you decide to choose what it is you want, I'll be here. But just not now. Goodbye zula.” Ty Lee pressed a kiss to Azula's cheek, lingering slightly. It was almost as if Ty Lee was reconsidering, but logic caught up with her, and she made her choice. It hurt her to look at Azula right now with Ozai’s words still fresh in her head. Ty Lee stepped away and turned, walking away from Azula.

Azula couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She hadn't even registered Ty Lee's last words. She watched Ty Lee disappear down the mansion's long pathway toward the front gates. Azula sank down to her knees and buried her head in her hands as she wept bitterly into the night.

After hours outside crying, Azula made her way inside. She saw Ozai staring at her from his seat in the sitting room. He smirked cruelly at her.

“I see that's been dealt with.” He said raising his glass in a celebratory manner towards Azula. “Remember Azula, love is for fools. They all leave in the end.”

As Azula made her way towards her bedroom and as she sank under the covers she thought maybe her father was right. Love only caused pain. 

And so she wallowed in misery for months, thinking about Ty Lee and how her source of happiness had quickly turned into her very own Achilles heel.

********

Azula snapped back to reality. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she checked the time again: 7:48. 

FUCK!

Chan’s party was in less than an hour and she hadn't made any attempts at getting her shit together. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her box of cigarettes. It was a nasty habit she had quit while dating Ty Lee. But heck! She wasn't around to stop her now was she? She quickly turned all her sadness into bitter feelings as she lit her cigarette. She took a long drag as she made her way out of her car. As she exhaled, she rid her mind of her earlier memories relishing the sweet anger that replaced her more weak emotions. She burst through the front door of the mansion making her way to her room. 

She connected her phone to the sound system below her TV, and pressed shuffle on one of her playlists. One of her favorite songs by She Wants Revenge started playing loudly as she made her way to her walk-in closet. With her cigarette still in her lips, she flipped through rows of clothes, not knowing what to wear. It wasn't a very important party, so Azula decided to roll down the sleeves of her shirt and trade her leather jacket for a light brown flannel. She walked into her bathroom to change in front of her huge mirror. She did a little dance along to the music as she changed. She wasn't the type to wear a lot of makeup, so she only redid her eyeliner, making it as perfect as the rest of her outfit. 

“You look fucking good tonight Azula.” She told her reflection smugly before removing her boots. She walked back into her closet to put on her black and white converse. 

“ _ I wanna fucking tear you apart”  _ Azula sang along as she added some jewelry to her outfit. Some rings and a chain should do. As she was pulling her hair up, she heard her music being interrupted by a phone call.

She groaned loudly as she walked over and saw the number wasn't one she had saved.

“Who is this?” She asked annoyed.

_ “ _ Hi Azula it's Yue! _ ”  _ Replied a girly voice that Azula didn't recognize.

“Who?”

_ “ _ You know, Yue, from the pep rally. You invited me to Chan’s party?? _ ”  _ the girl said shyly.

“Oh right!” Azula had completely forgotten she had invited someone, at least she knew her name now. That didn't matter though, Azula didn't want to spend her Friday night listening to anecdotes about magic fish in the north pole. “You know what, Yue? I don't think I'll be able to go. I suddenly came down with a  _ massive  _ case of uh... diarrhea???”

_ Wtf Azula???  _ She thought as she finished doing her hair.

“Oh. That's awful Azula. You know, when I was at the north pole, the chief taught me how to make a tea that could cure ev-”

“Wow, yes, you know what, I think I have that same tea in my kitchen right now! Imma go make it and go to sleep, thx for understanding June, byeee!” Azula hung up. 

The music resumed and Azula unplugged her phone. She grabbed her keys and made her way downstairs ready to head over to Chan’s.

Azula hated parties. But as she thought about who she was going to run into, her distaste for social events quickly turned into excited anticipation.

********

“Hey, I think you should take it easy.” Mai said reaching for Ty Lee's hand, preventing the cheerleader from taking another cup of punch from the table. 

“And I think, you should leave me alone,  _ mom!” _ Ty Lee said giggling. She was already on her fourth drink, and she'd barely gotten here an hour ago. She knew she couldn't handle alcohol well, but she still poured herself cup after cup. 

“Mai, look at me” the giggling girl said, slightly slurring her words as she cupped Mai's face and looked at her as seriously as she could through her drunken state.” if I die tonight, I want you to keep all my stuffed animals, ok? But not my pink unicorn! You bury me with Ms. Sparkles okay?! I love Ms. Sparkles, Mai. Do as I say, you promise?” Ty Lee said with tears in her eyes, as she started to get emotional because of her stuffed animals.

“Ty Lee, you are not dying tonight. Stop crying. And most importantly stop drinking! What's gotten into you?” Mai said, starting to get worried for her friend.

Ty Lee did not register a single thing Mai had said. She heard “Homemade Dynamite” come on through the speakers. She squealed loudly, making a few people turn to look at them.

“Mai! This is my favorite song!!! Come, let us dance!” Ty Lee said, taking Mai's hand and dragging her to the open space everyone was using as a dance floor before Mai could protest.

As she danced, she forgot all about the way she had felt when she had seen Azula today.

******

As Azula got out of her car, she pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it. She looked around and saw the whole block was filled with cars. Chan must have invited people from other schools too. She had parked in Chan's garage, not bothering to ask for permission. She lounged against the hood of her car as she saw people hanging out in the front lawn. By the looks of it, Azula got there an hour late. 

As she took a drag of her cigarette, she saw a group of girls stare at her appreciatively. Azula didn't recognize them, and normally she would disregard such behavior from girls, but she was in the mood for some chaos right now. 

As she took in the little group of girls, she focused on the prettiest one. She was wearing a dress that showed off her long legs quite nicely. As they saw Azula stare, her friends pushed the girl forward. Azula looked away nonchalantly, and she soon felt the girl tap her shoulder. 

Azula had to admit, the girl was pretty. Her caramel skin was smooth and her smile was quite the sight. Ty Lee had a prettier smile though, and Ty also had this way of look-

Wait a minute. Why was she comparing this stranger to Ty Lee? What was wrong with her?

“What's a hot girl like you doing all alone out here?” the stranger said in a smooth voice. 

“Smoking.” Azula replied, staring at the girl.

“I can see that. My name's Ming, what's yours?” 

Azula liked how straight forward the girl was. Most people usually feared Azula and preferred to avoid talking to her at all.

“I'm Azula.” She said, smirking.

“Well Azula, I'm in the mood to dance, mind if I teach you some new moves?”Ming said, eyeing Azula with an interested look in her eyes.

Azula put out her cigarette with her foot and followed the girl inside. They made their way through the house, and as Azula passed the kitchen, she grabbed a cup from the counter and quickly downed her first drink. They exited to Chan’s backyard. Azula saw an area to the side that was being used as a dance floor and several tables filled with all sorts of alcohol lined the edges of the backyard. A DJ was raised up on a platform in front of the “dance floor” and he was playing a song Azula recognized as one of Ty Lee's favorites. As Ming led Azula to the dance floor, Azula found herself subconsciously looking for Ty Lee. 

“Give me a second okay?” Ming said before making her way to the DJ. Azula saw her whisper something into the DJs ear, and the guy nodded. 

Ming made her way back to Azula.

“What was that about?” She asked Ming.

“What I'm about to show you requires more  _ interesting _ music. I learned this dancing when I went on vacation to Puerto Rico. All  _ you  _ have to do is hold on, and I'll do all the work.” Ming said, placing Azula's hands on her waist. 

Azula was very interested, and her smirk deepened as she located what she had been looking for all night. Ty Lee was dancing wildly in front of Mai, and she stopped as soon as she saw Ming place Azula's hands on her waist. 

The song that was playing stopped and was quickly replaced with something Azula had never heard before, and by the looks of everyone else no one had heard this either. It was in a whole other language. 

Ming, however, knew exactly what it was. She turned around and pressed her back to Azula's front as she started moving her waist in a way that was foreign to the raven-haired girl. Azula was a quick learner though, and soon, Azula was moving her hips in movements that matched Ming’s. Soon, everyone was forming a circle around them, cheering at the new form of dancing. Azula didn't care. She stared deeply at Ty Lee as she kept her hands on Ming. 

Ming suddenly reached up and placed her hand on Azula's shoulder, as they continued to dance. When the song was reaching its end, Ming did something that had the crowd going crazy. She kept rolling her hips while dropping low to the floor, and just as quickly, she returned to her previous position against Azula. Azula actually laughed at how good this girl was. She saw Ty Lee look away before pushing her way through the crowd. Azula suddenly felt the need to go after her. She knew she was being horrible, but she couldn't stop. Who the hell did Ty Lee think she was? Leaving her and not even bothering to let Azula know how she was doing? No. She wanted to make this girl regret leaving her. 

The song came to an end, and the people at the party cheered loudly for them. Some people wanted to try this new dance out for themselves, so they requested another similar song. Ming turned to look at Azula.

“Free for another round, or are you too tired already?” Ming asked, daring Azula.

“It's okay, we can dance, you don't have to beg.” Azula replied smugly, trying to put the cheerleader out of her mind.

********

Ty Lee felt her world spinning. She made her way to one of the tables in Chan's backyard and found the football captain himself serving drinks. He was wearing his shirt as a hat and was clearly gone himself. 

“WHAT'S UP TY?!” He said way too loudly, making Ty Lee's head pound.”DID YOU SEE AZULA AND THAT GIRL??! MAJOR CHEMISTRY THERE!” 

“Sure did. Now shut up and give me the strongest drink you got will you?” She said. 

Chan seemed unbothered by her rudeness, and served her a cup of what seemed like vodka? Ty Lee didn't care. She made her way inside the house, and collapsed in one of the couches. She downed the whole cup quickly.

She felt someone sit beside her and was relieved to see it was Mai. 

“Are you ok?” She heard Mai ask.

“You know what Mai-” before Ty Lee could respond, she felt her stomach lurch. She turned around and threw up in one of the plants that was placed in Chan's living room. Poor plant, it was so pretty.

“No Mai, I am not ok.” She finished, thinking about Azula and that girl out there. Why was she trying so hard to hurt her? Hadn't she done that enough already?

Ty Lee felt her head pounding and she leaned her head against Mai's shoulder before passing out.

*******

“Ty Lee? Hey, dude?!” Mai gently slapped Ty Lee's head. 

_ ‘Oh Agni this girl really passed out right now!”  _ Mai didn't know what to do. She knew taking Ty Lee home was a no-go. Her parents would probably kill Mai if she brought their beloved daughter home all passed out smelling like alcohol. 

Maybe she would take her to her own place. 

‘ _ Oh fuck!’ _

She remembered her parents thought she was over at Ty Lee's place. Either way, they were both dead if they showed up like this. Mai cursed loudly as she knew the only other option left. She slung one of Ty Lee's arms over her shoulders and dragged the girl to her car. 

“It's okay Zula, I love you too.” Ty Lee mumbled in her sleep, making Mai roll her eyes.

She placed Ty Lee down in the backseat of her car. She closed the door behind her, and she made her way back to the party.

Why did she agree to come along?

*******

Azula was sweating by now. She had just finished her third dance with Ming, and she was getting drinks for both of them. As she turned to head back, she saw Mai standing in front of Azula, blocking her way. 

“Shit! Watch it Mai! Announce yourself or something. Scary ass girl.” Azula said, almost spilling the drinks all over herself.

“There's a problem, and you seem to be the only one that can help, unfortunately.” Mai said staring at Azula in her usual stoic way.

“Yeah, I'd love to help, but I am little busy right-”

“It's Ty Lee.”

“What? Is she okay?” Azula said, quickly putting down the drinks on the table.

“She threw up and now she seems to be passed out in the backseat of my car.”

Azula felt her stomach sink at those words. It didn't matter they weren't together anymore, Azula needed to make sure Ty Lee was fine.

“Take me to her right now!” Azula said.

Mai sighed loudly before making her way back to her car.

Azula followed Mai, almost crashing into her when Mai abruptly stopped by the front door.

“Look I don't know what happened between you two, but you both need to stop acting like little kids and just deal with it like normal people! You know this better than anyone Azula. Now go, and make sure she's ok.” Mai said sternly.

Azula nodded quickly and made her way towards Mai's car. This whole mess was her fault, and Mai was right. She needed to fix this.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Ty Lee: 🤮🌿  
> Anywayss hope you guys enjoyed, I hope you stick around for what's next, cus trust me it gets interesting;) as always thx for reading bbys<3 feel free to leave comments, I love reading what you guys think:)  
> (also the dance Ming showed Azula is regueton just an FYI. i thought it would be fun to have Azula do it)


	4. and down this road we go..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the wait!! i have been struggling to find motivation to write, but i do plan to continue this story and finish it! thx to those who are still reading, hope you all are enjoying it so far<3 this is a set up to important events in the next chapter, so it is somewhat short. enjoy!  
> -alys<3

Azula carried Ty Lee from Mai’s car to her convertible in Chan’s garage. She promised Mai to have Ty Lee call her as soon as she woke up.

And so, Azula set off towards her mansion praying that Ozai wasn’t home. It wasn’t like she was afraid of him. She just didn’t want to have to explain her current situation to him. Yeah, that would explain the knot in her stomach and her sweaty palms, right? 

She drove slowly, so Ty Lee wouldn’t wake due to the many bumps and holes that lined the uneven roads of this part of Caldera. 

_ ‘Agni, who the hell made these streets?!!’  _ Azula thought angrily as she swerved to avoid a particularly nasty hole.

She was going to have a talk about these awful roads with Ozai. It was just outrageous. Where is all the tax money going? Having them fixed would be a win-win situation. Ozai would get a good rep for his campaign if he fixed these roads, and Azula would no longer have to worry about these horrendous roads waking up her drunk girlfriend. 

Azula cringed immediately as she realized what she had called Ty Lee in her thoughts. Enough of that. 

She sighed deeply and turned to look at Ty Lee. The girl was completely asleep, her head leaning against the window of the passenger door. She was lightly snoring and Azula couldn’t help but smile at how cute Ty Lee looked while she slept. Even now in her drunken state, she looked beautiful. 

She noticed Ty Lee shiver slightly. At a stop light, Azula pulled off her flannel and gently placed it around Ty Lee’s front. She watched as the girl buried her head in the sweater before collapsing against the window again.

Azula fought back the urge to press a kiss on top of Ty Lee’s head. 

‘ _ What the hell is wrong with me?” _

Instead of processing her feelings like a healthy person, she drowned it out by slightly turning up the volume of the stereo. It was at a level where she wouldn’t wake Ty Lee but just enough so that she could hear Frank Ocean sing the lines of one of her favorite songs. 

Azula let out a frustrated sigh as she pulled up in front of the mansion gates. She felt the knot in her stomach loosen significantly as she saw that Ozai wasn’t home. She drove up the pathway and turned off the engine once she parked by the garage. She got out and made her way to the passenger door. Azula tried to be very careful, but as soon as she opened the door, Ty Lee slumped to the side. Azula immediately reached forward and cradled the girls head against her shoulder. She reached around with her other arm and hooked it under Ty Lee’s knees carrying her bridal style.

Even though this was something Azula had done many times before, she felt her knees tremble as she closed the car door with her foot. 

‘ _ I knew I shouldn’t have drank at that stupid party’ _

Azula made her way to the front door and was glad to find it unlocked. She wasn’t in the mood to fumble with the house keys while balancing a very drunk girl in her arms. 

She slowly made her way to her room feeling slightly dizzy from climbing the stairs. She closed her bedroom door behind her and gently laid Ty Lee down on her bed. As Azula was about to rise, Ty Lee held on to her neck. 

“No, stay.” Ty Lee mumbled, still asleep.

Azula felt her stomach flip at the request. But just as soon as it came, it left, and insecurity filled its place. 

_ ‘She’s drunk! She doesn’t want you! She doesn’t even know what she’s saying.’ _

__ Azula tried to move away, but Ty Lee’s grip was surprisingly strong despite being asleep. Azula felt a leg wrap around her legs, and she was suddenly being pulled down. She ended up next to Ty Lee, her face inches away from hers. Azula wasn’t sure if it was the feeling of Ty Lee’s arms around her or the alcohol that was making heat creep up to her face. 

After moments of staring at Ty Lee’s face, Azula gave in and fell asleep wrapped inside the arms of the girl she loved.

*********

Ty Lee woke up and immediately shut her eyes again when she felt a massive headache start to form. Her throat was dry, and her mouth tasted strongly like vomit. She buried her head in the red pillow and let out a pained groan. She stopped when the sound just made her throat burn and her head pound.

_ ‘Wait, I don’t have red pillows…’ _

She immediately sat up and looked around. Bad idea. She felt her surroundings spin around her and she felt her stomach churn unpleasantly. She didn’t need to look any further, though, she knew exactly where she was. Knowing did nothing to calm the growing unease building up inside her. She leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes. Being in last night's clothes made her feel sticky and uncomfortable. Her night of fun and vengeance had completely backfired.

After a few moments she opened her eyes and looked around carefully. Azula was nowhere to be found. Instead, Ty Lee saw a glass of water and an aspirin in the nightstand beside her. She saw there was a note next to the water:

_ Drink This- Azula _

Ty Lee did so, and then looked around for her phone. She reached for her back pocket and found her phone there. The clock displayed that it was 8:33. She unlocked it and immediately saw all the missed calls and messages. As expected, there were no missed calls or messages from her sisters or parents. Instead, Mai and Suki had left an annoying amount of messages. Before answering, Ty Lee went to Instagram and started checking people’s stories. 

She opened Chan’s first. There was a video of him from this morning. He was talking to the camera: 

“Bro, who the hell threw up in my Nana’s vase?!!” He zoomed into the familiar plant in his living room. “Not cool, bro!” 

Ty Lee cringed as she remembered how she had been the one to desecrate Nana’s poor vase. She skipped over to Roun-Jian’s story and saw he had recorded Azula’s little performance with that  _ girl  _ from last night. She skipped through his story, and decided to stop. Reliving last night’s events did nothing but make her feel more miserable. What was she even doing here??? These questions drove nails into her brain, so she just flopped back into the pillows that smelled so much like the girl she was trying so desperately to ignore.

********

Azula had woken up before Ty Lee did, and she decided to stay away for as long as she could. She had changed into her workout clothes and headed down to the kitchen. By then, the effects of alcohol had left her body for the most part, but she knew Ty Lee was in for a treat when she woke up. She had told one of the servants to take some aspirin and water, along with a note from her, up to her room. 

Now Azula found herself in the mansion’s gym, letting her frustrations out into the punching bag in front of her. The speakers were blaring her Nirvana playlist, and it only fueled her punches and kicks even more. 

She was frustrated at herself. Why was she acting so weak? Letting herself show affection to someone who  _ abandoned  _ her! She was pathetic, just like Zuko.

_ Punch. _

Father was right. Why didn’t she listen? Ursa left. Zuko left. Ty Lee left. Trust is for fools. 

_ Kick.  _

Why did no one realize? Everything depends on her. The family business. Her father's reputation. Zuko’s safety.  _ Ty Lee’s safety _ . Why did no one realize what’s at stake?

_ Punch. Punch. Kick. _

No one cared about her. Not even her own mother. Not even her own father. And much less her own fuddy duddy uncle. She thought Ty Lee cared. She trusted. Trust. 

Trust is for fools. 

_ Kick. Punch. Punch  _

Why did she leave her with  _ him?  _ Why did she leave her? Why did she fucking leave? 

_ Punch. Punch. PUNCH. PUNCH _

Why did her mother leave her?

Azula relentlessly hit the punching bag. Unsatisfied with the lack of contact, she removed the wrappings around her hands and continued her hits mercilessly. She let out a groan of frustration, and stopped only when she saw the punching bag was being smeared with blood from her knuckles. She was covered in sweat and she leaned her forehead against the cool material of the bag while she steadied her uneven breaths. She wasn’t tired, and she knew her emotions had left her more winded than her intense workout. She couldn’t tell if it was sweat or tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes. That was what she loved about intense workouts. The way she could mask what she truly came down here to do. 

She looked around and realized she had forgotten to bring her towel. 

“Fuck.” Now what was she gonna wipe her hands with? She turned off the music, and checked the time. 9:12. She’d been here for hours. She needed a shower and some ice for her knuckles. She headed upstairs and hoped Ty Lee was still asleep. She was not looking forward to the talk that would surely take place sometime soon.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will be posting more updates on my writing on tumblr @latraviesascott.   
> thx for reading <3


	5. Irony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dude i am so bad at naming chapters. anyways here ya go babes, hope you enjoy!   
>  -alys<3

Ty Lee wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she heard the bedroom door open. Her headache was now dulling to a mild throbbing in her head, and she could now sit up without feeling like throwing up all over Azula’s bed. She leaned against the headboard and immediately averted her gaze as she saw that Azula was back from working out, wearing a sports bra and some shorts that made Azula’s toned legs look more pronounced. Ty Lee suddenly felt dizzy just from looking. She hadn’t done a good job at drying off, for her body was still covered in a fine sheet of sweat, and was it just her imagination, or did her abs always look better after –

Ty Lee must have been staring without even noticing when Azula’s voice brought her out of her daydreaming.

“Oh, I’m sorry- I didn’t think you were gonna be awake yet, I was just about to shower.”

“No, it’s ok. It’s your house.” Ty Lee mumbled, staring at a loose thread in the pillowcase to avoid staring at Azula again.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Azula awkwardly fiddled with her hands. Ty Lee frowned as she saw Azula’s knuckles were bloody and swollen. She knew Azula liked to skip every safety precaution while working out whenever she felt too overwhelmed to talk or deal with something.

Ty Lee broke the silence that had fallen between them, her voice barely above a whisper. “You shouldn’t do that to yourself.”

Azula felt frustrated at the tone in which they had to talk to each other now. Ty Lee sounded like a school nurse scolding a student for not tending to an injury sooner. She let out a laugh that held no humor in it. The fucking irony. Just months before, they both lay with each other and talked about their futures together. Whispered confessions of love were lost, now replaced with formalities as if they were mere acquaintances asking each other for directions to the mall. It sickly reminded Azula of the way Ozai would talk to Ursa in the last years before she left. He could be speaking to his assistant or his wife and Azula wouldn’t know the difference. She laughed harder, her cackles turning into painful sobbing.

Ty Lee just stared at Azula, shocked at the sudden outburst from the raven-haired girl. She watched as the girl’s abdomen contracted as she cried and laughed at the same time. Ty Lee watched as Azula’s outburst stilled before the tall girl slumped down on the bed. She saw Azula’s shoulders shaking, whether it was from sobbing or laughing, Ty Lee didn’t know. Ty Lee slowly approached her from behind and gently placed a hand on Azula’s shoulder. She suddenly didn’t know what to ask. Azula was clearly not okay. Azula spoke before Ty Lee could even ask anything.

“Do you fear me Ty Lee?”

Ty Lee was taken aback by the question. Did she fear Azula? Where was this question even coming from? Once again, Ty Lee did not have time to answer.

“You know what? Don’t even answer that. It’s just gonna depress me even more if you do.” Azula buried her head in her hands and winced at the pressure she felt coming from her knuckles and wrists. She stayed like that for what felt like hours until she felt Ty Lee place her hands on her back. Azula jumped slightly, not used to any sort of physical affection. Ty Lee slowly wrapped her arms around Azula’s waist before placing her head on the taller girl’s back.

“I don’t fear you Azula. I love you. When will you get that through that big head of yours? I love you so much, and I know you love me too, but why do you have to be so damn conflicting? It’s like you want to hurt me on purpose.” She felt Azula tense when Ty Lee gripped her tighter, burying her head on Azula’s back as tears rolled down her face.

“If what you say is true, if you are so convinced of my love for you, then why did you leave? My own mother thought I wasn’t worth her tears, so what makes you any different?” Ty Lee could her how strained Azula’s voice was; as if she were holding back her tears.

Ty Lee pulled away slowly and tugged at Azula’s arm. The girl didn’t budge.

“Azula, look at me, please.”

Azula stared straight ahead stubbornly, but she eventually gave in, turning her face to look at the other girl. Ty Lee felt her heart break even more when she saw the effort Azula put herself through just so she wouldn’t show any signs of emotion. “Weaknesses” as she liked to call it. Her gaze was blank and her expression was so Ozai that Ty Lee felt sick to her stomach. She cupped Azula’s face with her hands and stared into her golden eyes.

“The difference is that I haven’t given up on you, Azula. You are so damn stubborn and stupid and just so frustrating, but I will never leave you. I knew this was going to be hard and I still stayed with you. So you need to get that whole “me leaving you” idea out of your head because it’s not gonna happen.”

At this point, Azula had tears rolling down her face. She let out the sobs she had been holding in and collapsed against the other girl, burying her head on Ty Lee’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry Ty.” She repeated this phrase over and over again until she felt herself grow tired. She rose and pressed her forehead against Ty Lee’s.

“This isn’t going to be easy at all, you know?”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my posting schedule? who is she? dont know her....  
> anyways im thinking about writing some oneshots for one of my favorite ships (ymir/historia) so lmk if you'd like to read em! Hope yall liked the chapter! lmk know your thoughts either in the comment section or my tumblr @latraviesascott   
> -alys<3

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to the people who inspired me to start writing, y'all know who you are ILY all<3\.   
> . My upload schedule will probably be every weekend, but there might be the eventual updates here and there throughout the week. Thx for reading bbys<3


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